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This Sunday @ UCC:
Shepherds Show Up - Leddy Hammock
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Stables, by Peter Mayer
In Bethlehem a manger waits, long ago and so today,
Where hatred-weary people pray Love will come and lay there.
And so do countless stables stand in hearts as harsh as desert lands,
Rough shelters in the wind and sand, so Love will come and stay there --.
Love that opens fists of hate, heaps of gold on beggars’ plates,
Love that shows a kindly face to enemies and strangers.
And walls of stables tremble so when winds of fear and judgment blow.
For a stable hopes in Love alone and knows that Love’s the answer.
Oh, Love, the prophets’ only word, the only lesson left to learn,
The only end of heaven’s work, and the only road that goes there --
Love that sees with mercy’s eyes, holds its arms out open wide,
Threads its loom with separate lives and weaves them all together.
So, may the lamps of stables glow brightly lit that light may go
for miles in the darkness, so Love will find its way there. |
| | Workshop: Speaking with Love
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| Mon, Dec 19
6:00 PM
Peace Cottage
Communicating to others about our deepest thoughts and wishes with love, respect, and compassion can be challenging.
Join Mary Ray for a three “hands on,” “heart-centered” sessions for practicing and role playing ways to communicate more authentically with family, friends, and colleagues.
Mary is a spiritual life coach, a retired counselor, nurse, and a certified human services practitioner.
$15 and bring a friend for free! |
| | Holiday Lights in the Garden
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| Sun, Dec 18
6:15 PM
Florida Botanical Gardens
12520 Ulmerton Road
Largo, FL 33774
Join us at the Botanical Gardens!
We’ll meet outside the main entrance at 6:15 PM
For those that prefer to carpool, we'll meet at 5:30 PM in the UCC parking lot by the bookstore.
Holiday Lights in the Gardens has become a Pinellas holiday tradition. The entire gardens are filled with light-lines paths, nightly free entertainment and visits from Santa Claus.
The event is the largest fundraiser for the gardens and depends on volunteers, sponsors and donations to reduce the cost of offering this holiday tradition in Pinellas County. More than 450 volunteers and generous sponsor donations make the Holiday Lights a success.
Suggested donation is $4 (13 years and older)
RSVP on our Meetup event page! |
| | Christmas Candle Lighting Services
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Wed, Dec 21
7:00 PM
Peace Chapel
Christmas Eve
7:00 PM
Sanctuary
All Unity Folks are welcome to take part!
Step aside from the hectic season for an evening of togetherness. A time shared with all our family is a beautiful way to remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Midweek Service:
See you on December 21 as we share the light together!
The service is short and sweet and scripted, and we can use a dozen good, clear readers (age 8 and up) and a dozen candle lighters (age 15 and up).
To participate, one brief half hour rehearsal is required, in the Peace Chapel at noon on Sunday, December 18.
No rehearsal necessary just to attend :-)
Christmas Eve Service:
Christmas Eve candle lighting services at Unity are a time of family and community, and a beautiful way to remember the true meaning of Christmas — that Christ is born anew in you.
The service begins with our music ministry and ends as we leave in silence, centered in the true spirit of Christmas!
See you on Christmas Eve as we share the light together!
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| | Workshop: Speaking with Love
Mon, 6:00 PM
Peace Cottage
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| | WINGS Book Study Group
Tue, 11:30 AM
Café
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| Prosperity Class
Tue, 7:00 PM
Café
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| Prayer & Meditation Service
Wed, 7:00 PM
Peace Chapel
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| Unity Singers
Wed, 7:00 PM
Sanctuary
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| Tai Chi
Thur, 6:00 PM
Peace Cottage
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| Half Hour Hebrew
Thur, 7:00 PM
Café
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| Torah Study
Thur, 7:30 PM
Café
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| AA Meeting
Thur, 7:30 PM
Peace Cottage
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| Robe Offering Ceremony
Sat, 10:45 AM
Peace Chapel
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| Holiday Lights in the Garden
Sun, 6:15 PM
FL Botanical Garden
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| Half Day Meditation Retreat
Dec 17, 8:30 AM
Dhamma Wheel
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| Express Saturday
Dec 17, 9:00 AM
UCC Campus
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| Candle Lighting Service
Dec 21, 7:00 PM
Peace Chapel
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| Christmas Eve Service
Dec 24, 7:00 PM
Sanctuary
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| Christmas Day Service
Dec 24, 10:30 AM
Sanctuary
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| Burning Bowl Service
Dec 31, 7:00 PM
Sanctuary
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| New Year's Day Service
Jan 1, 10:30 AM
Sanctuary
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| Guest Speaker: Sue Riley
Jan 1, 10:30 AM
Sanctuary
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| Service Saturday
Jan 7, 9:00 AM
UCC Campus
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| Concert: Brother Sun
Jan 23, 7:00 PM
UU Clearwater
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| New Member Meet n Greet
Feb 5, 12:00 PM
Peace Chapel
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| | | | | December Heart of the House - Debbie Frisch
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Debbie Frisch, the newest member of Unity’s Board of Directors, known for her sunny, positive attitude, attributes that in large part to the Unity way that she has learned to live. When speaking at a Sunday service last summer, she gave an unforgettable account of her experience with tithing, a word that once would have caused her to cringe. Encouraged by a friend, Debbie began tithing “a little bit at a time.” When she received a bonus or raise, she increased the amount and has repeatedly realized the prosperity of her decision. Citing a job loss when the company she had worked for was sold, Debbie says, “I knew in my heart I would be OK because I had been giving consistently and increasing my tithing on a regular basis.”
Two weeks after losing her job of 20 years, Debbie heard of a trip with Jana Stanfield to Spain and France, and, taking an amazing step out on faith, immediately committed to taking that trip, knowing that whatever was needed would be provided. During her unemployment, she received a grant to enroll in a class to increase her marketable skills. Next, a friend showed up needing a place to stay and rented a room from Debbie for six months, and before she left, Debbie was blessed with a great job opportunity.
Read More
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| | Unity of Clearwater Shares the Warmth of Christmastime!
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| Thank you for your tremendous support in collecting blankets!
A small mountain of new or like-new blankets were delivered to UU Clearwater to be taken to the Migrant Farm Workers of Plant City from our two congregations.
The Rev. Rob Hammock delivered another big stack of blankets, donated at UCC thereafter, to the Clearwater Homeless Empowerment Project this week.
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| | Our wonderful volunteers have also created and distributed 108 handmade Christmas ornaments to Hospice!
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| | Our Yearly Teddy Bear Drive has also been a great sucess!
Each year through the generosity of our UCC family, we collect around 400-500 new teddy bears and other stuffed animals.
The donations are tagged "We bear you love from Unity" and are then given to grateful recipients at Hospice, Metropolitan Ministries, nursing facilities, etc.
Small to medium size bears are requested and they should be new and individually bagged (ziplock)
Thank you for proving that UCC truly is A House Built on Love!
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INITIATION IN LOVE
“A businesswoman recently related how she met her initiation in love:
‘Only a short time ago, I felt I could not go on. [It seemed that everyone in our immediate family – every child and adult – was suffering terribly serious from one emotional and/or physical challenge or another.] . . . .
After reading an article about the power of divine love to improve personalities, situations, events, even one’s health, I bought a notebook and pen. Every time I started to worry, feel sick or afraid, I sat down, relaxed, wrote the name of the family member of the situation that was bothering me, and then I wrote down a decree of love about it. For my husband, our children, and for myself, I often wrote over and over: I behold you with the eyes of love and I glory in your perfection'”
(Catherine Ponder in The Prospering Power of Love [Unity School of Christianity, 1966]
Your Weekly Prosperity Affirmation:
I BEHOLD YOU WITH THE EYES OF LOVE AND I GLORY IN YOUR PERFECTION
THANK YOU, GOD!
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